– Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed a law today that authorizes the State Library to create and maintain a state platform for the distribution of electronic books (e-books) to public library patrons.
The bill was passed in response to legislation Governor Malloy signed last year that commissioned the Department of Consumer Protection to study how Connecticut’s public libraries could gain fairer access to e-books
Studies show that e-books are now the preferred book format for many readers.
Between 2002 and 2012, e-book share of trade publishing revenue increased from 0.05 percent to roughly 23 percent.
In 2012, nearly 80 percent of libraries reported that they experienced a dramatic increase in the demand for e-books during the previous year.
